Community Catalyst: Matt Wilson

High school seniors have a lot on their “To Do” list. From graduation plans, to applying to college, to getting the highest score on the SAT/ACT possible, it can be a tough task to remember they still have to get good grades to pass their classes. For one senior at Greenbrier High School, he’s also adding in fundraising for a non-profit that supports leukemia and lymphoma patients receiving treatment at the Georgia Cancer Center.

Wilson is competing against 12 other students. While he was not familiar with leukemia or lymphoma when he was nominated, he is no stranger to cancer’s impact on a family. He lost his grandfather to cancer, while his grandmother is living with lung cancer.

“As part of my fundraising and education efforts, I talked to a leukemia and lymphoma survivor support group,” he said. “We hear about the statistics of cancer. But, it’s a different feeling and experience when those statistics become real people and real stories.”

The “Student of the Year” award started between two to three years ago. Wilson was nominated by classmates who were previous nominees.

“When I found out I had been nominated I couldn’t get the smile off my face,” he said. “As I started thinking about what it meant, I got even more excited. It’s a great opportunity to channel my love for competition into doing something positive for these patients and their community.”

The winner of the “Student of the Year” competition will be announced on March 8. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about the program, visit this link. If you’d like to make a donation to Matt, you can do that here.

We want to connect with you and your community!

Learn more about the Georgia Cancer Center’s Office of Community Information and Awareness and how you can connect with us, at augustahealth.org/catalyst.

About the author

Augusta University Health

Based in Augusta, Georgia, Augusta University Health is a world-class health care network, offering the most comprehensive primary, specialty and subspecialty care in the region. Augusta University Health provides skilled, compassionate care to its patients, conducts leading-edge clinical research and fosters the medical education and training of tomorrow’s health care practitioners. Augusta University Health is a not-for-profit corporation that manages the clinical operations associated with Augusta University.